1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a seat assembly, and more particularly, to a multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly for an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive vehicles commonly include front and rear driver side and passenger side seat assemblies for supporting occupants within the vehicle. The seat assemblies may include one or more bucket-type seat assemblies, elongated bench-type seat assemblies, or a combination of each, aligned in one or more rows within the interior compartment of the vehicle. Each seat assembly typically includes a generally horizontal seat cushion and a generally upright seat back coupled to the seat cushion for supporting the seat occupant in an upright seating position. The seat back is commonly pivotally coupled to the seat cushion by a recliner mechanism for providing pivotal movement of the seat back between a plurality of inclined positions relative to the seat cushion. For example, sport utility vehicles and/or mini-vans often include rear seat assemblies wherein the seat back is pivotal about the seat cushion from an upright seating position to a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly inclined positions. That is, the seat back may pivot rearwardly from the upright position to an inclined, or reclined, position and often pivot approximately 90 degrees to a generally flat bed-type position. The seat back may also pivot forwardly from the upright position to a folded, or dumped, position against the seat cushion for providing additional storage space within the vehicle compartment or to allow access behind the seat assembly.
Automotive vehicles, such as full-size vans, also commonly include rear seat assemblies mounted to the floor of the vehicle by a swivel pedestal for allowing the seat assembly to swivel, or rotate, about its vertical axis from a conventional forward facing position to a rearward facing position. For example, the vehicle may include both a second and third row of seat assemblies behind the front driver and passenger seat assemblies wherein the second row of seat assemblies are rotatable from the conventional forward facing position to a rearward facing position facing toward the third row of seat assemblies.
It remains desirable to provide a multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly wherein the seat cushion remains fixedly secured to the floor of the vehicle and the seat back is positionable, or reversible, between upright forward and rearward facing seating positions. It is also desirable to provide a multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly wherein the seat back is also positionable between generally horizontal forward and rearward facing bed positions. It is also desirable to provide a seat assembly that is easily convertible between any of the desired reversible and multi-positions.
The present invention includes a multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly comprising a pair of spaced apart seat risers adapted for mounting the seat assembly to a vehicle floor. The seat risers include a forward end and an opposite rearward end. The seat assembly further includes a seat cushion operatively coupled between the seat risers and pivotal between a first inclined position against the forward end and a second inclined position against the rearward end of the risers. The seat assembly also includes a seat back operatively coupled to the seat risers and pivotal between a first upright position adjacent the forward end and a second upright position adjacent the rearward end of the risers. The seat assembly includes a linkage mechanism interconnecting the seat risers to each of the seat cushion and the seat back for pivoting the seat cushion between the first inclined position and the second inclined position in response to the seat back pivoting between the first upright position and the second upright position.